PHL announces Pointstreak Peak Performers for September

The North American Prospects Hockey League (PHL) announced its Pointstreak Peak Performers for the month of September today.  The players were selected based upon their performance at the first PHL event of the season, which took place at the NAHL Showcase in Blaine, Minnesota from September 13-16, 2012.

MIDGET MAJOR (18U) POINTSTREAK PEAK PERFORMER-Razmuz Waxin-Engback, forward, Indiana Jr. Ice
The Pointstreak Peak Performer for the 18U Division of the PHL is forward Razmuz Waxin-Engback from the Indiana Jr. Ice.  The 17-year-old forward from Stockholm, Sweden, was a one-man scoring machine at the first PHL regular season event of the season at the NAHL Showcase in Blaine, Minnesota.  In Indiana’s five games at the event, Waxin-Engback (5’11/185) registered 14 points, which included four goals and 10 assists.  Most impressively, three of his four goals were game-winners.  To date this season, Waxin-Engback has registered 23 points (9 goals, 14 assists) in 12 games overall.

Waxin-Engback came to the United States over the summer and this is his first season playing hockey in the U.S. after playing his entire life in Sweden.  “Razmuz was noticed in Sweden by one of our coaches and he came over here to pursue an opportunity to hopefully one day play college hockey,” said Indiana 18U head coach Mario Doyon.  The Indiana Jr. Ice 18U team got off to a fast start this season, posting a 4-1-0 record through the first event of the year.  Doyon, who coached the Indiana 16U team to the PHL Championship last season said that he is happy with this year’s 18U squad so far, which is being led by Waxin-Engback.  “I think we are off to a good start.  We have some solid players up front including Razmuz and some good goaltending behind them, so I think we will be able to hopefully put together a good record and be a factor at the end of the season.”

Of the five games that Waxin-Engback played in Blaine, he scored in four of them and all of those were multi-point games. In the opening game against the California Titans, Waxin-Engback had a goal (the game-winner) and two assists in a 4-2 win.  The next day, he had three assists in a 4-3 win over the San Jose Jr. Sharks.  After being held scoreless in a 3-1 loss against Omaha, Waxin-Engback came back with a vengeance with a four-point game in an 8-0 win over the Utah Regulators in which he also had the game-winning goal.  On the final day of the event, Waxin-Engback had another four-point game, which included two goals and two assists (with another game-winner) in an 8-5 win over the Phoenix Firebirds.

“Razmuz is a world-class skater, has very good stick handling and has a very powerful and quick shot,” said Doyon.  “I think most impressively he has adapted to the American game and doesn’t shy away from the physical part.  I think the next step for him is to continue to get better while playing in the PHL and hopefully earn a junior opportunity and then the NCAA.  He definitely has the capability to reach all those goals if he keeps working hard and playing well.”

MIDGET MINOR (16U) POINTSTREAK PEAK PERFORMER-Ethan Somoza, forward, California Titans
It was quite the PHL debut at the first event of the season in Blaine, Minnesota, for 16-year-old Ethan Somoza of the California Titans 16U team.  Somoza (5’10/165) literally exploded onto the scene with a performance that earned him the overall PHL scoring lead after one event and just four games played.  The native of Simi Valley, California, registered 15 points, including an incredible 12 goals and three assists as he led the California Titans 16U team to a perfect 4-0-0 record in Blaine.

The offensive production by Somoza earned him the Pointstreak Peak Performer award for the 16U Division for the month of September.  Consider that of the 29 total goals scored by California in their first four games of the season, 12 of them (or roughly 41%) came off the stick of Somoza.  Add in the three assists and Somoza has been a part of over half of California’s goals so far this season.  “I think Ethan has responded well of being the ‘go-to’ guy on the team this season,” said California 16U head coach Peter Torrson.  “He has really taken on a leadership role with the team this year and I think it makes him an even better player.  He is more focused and works very hard on and off the ice and that has made him a more complete player.”

Somoza’s debut in the PHL was an impressive one as he registered four goals and an assist in an 8-1 win over the Pursuit of Excellence.  The next game, he posted his second consecutive hat-trick in an 8-2 win over the St. Louis Selects.  On the third day, it was another four goal, one assist performance in an 8-0 win over Cleveland.  On the final day of the event, Somoza registered a goal and an assist in a 5-1 win over the Detroit Falcons.

“There is a lot of interest in Ethan right now from scouts and coaches at all levels, including juniors and the NCAA,” said Torrson.  “I think the sky is the limit for Ethan.  He is a very good student so I know he has aspirations of playing in college and I know he dreams about one day of being in the NHL.  I think if he can remain focused then anything is possible for him.”

The second  PHL event of the 2012-13 season will take place from October 19-22 at Sharks Ice in San Jose, California, and will feature eight teams from the 18U division, eight teams from the 16U division and four teams competing in the Bantam Tournament Series (BTS). The PHL is comprised of six regular-season events leading up to its Championship Tournament Series in which the top teams at each level compete for a league championship. The PHL season concludes with its Top Prospects Tournament, which will be held in conjunction with the NAHL Robertson Cup Championship Tournament in May 2013.